Hermetic seal



July 14, 1931.

-A. PQDEI.

HERMETIC" SEAL Filed Juxly. 2l, 1927 vwentoz raam poo/ 333% @Howe/1j Patented Juy 14, 14931 UNITED VSTATES PATENT OFFICE ABRAHAM PODEL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORTO ANCHOR CAP & CLOSURE OOR- I'ORATION, 0F LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK HERMETIC' SEAL Application led July 21, 1927. Serial No. 207,453.

The present invention relates to sealed packages and more particularly to packages sealed by screw caps.

Screw caps are desirable for many sealed products primarily because they may be sealed and resealed without the use of expensive machinery. Usually a sealing ring or disc is placed in the upper part of the cap or skirt to form an edge seal with the rim of the container; or the flat ring gasket is placed on a suitable shoulder of the container to engage the lower edge of the flange of the cap. In either case'the seal is formed by direct vertical pressure which, due to the elasticity of the gasket, is constantly pressing the cap upwardly. Slight imperfections on the shoulder or rim of the container are fatal to the seal when the seal is formed on the edge of the container and both the gasket and rim becolne sticky and contaminated. The gaskets must be placed 0n the container by hand prior to the sealing operation. Special forms of gaskets are required insome instances to fit the caps and the gaskets are glued to the caps in other instances.

The present invention eliminates the difficulties enumerated above by providing a screw cap adapted to seat a gasket in tha skirt thereof, and to form a side seal on a suitable container. The cap and gasket may be assembled by automatic machinery and shipped assembled to packers who may likewise apply them to packages by automatic machinery.- The required sealing forces are reduced to a. minimum since the sealing is accomplished by a 'combined downward and outward pressure which gives a wedging action effected by the annular inclined sealing zone. Adherence by the caps to the'container is minimized due to the fact that the gaskets tend to expand the skirt of the cap and to separate the metal and glass.

An object of the invention is to provide an effective and inexpensive side seal by wedging the gasket between the skirt of the cap and the inclined side wall of the container below the rim thereof.

Another object of thev invention is to provide a sealed package, the parts-of which may be assembled by automatic `machinery thereby eliminating the necessity of skilled labor.

A further object of the invention is to J minimize the difliculty encountered in removing screw caps by providing .a seal which tends to expand the cap and to separate the glass and metal.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious to one skilled in the art upon an understanding of the illustrated embodiment, and various advantages willoccur to one skilled in the art upon application of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment has beenI chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a package sealed in accordance with the present invention. A'

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of one form of closure cap;

" Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the cap applied to a container; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating another form of cap applied to a container.

Referring more particularly to the drawings there is shown a container 1 having an inclined sealing zone 2 adjacent the mouth thereof as shown in Fig. 3. Suitable screw threads 4 are provided below the sealing zone to facilitate the application of a closure and a suitable shoulder 5 is provided below the screw threads to improve the appearance-of the container.

The closure cap 6 preferablyic'omprises. 'a cover portion 7 and a depending 'skirt'8. A suitable bead 9 is formed in the skirt by provision of an outwardly extending shelf 10 having downwardly and inwardly extending portions 11 adapted to receive and support the gasket 12. Below the bead are suitable screw threads 14 which extend the bottom of the cap where a wire edge 15 protects and reinforces the lower portion of the cap. X In Fig. 4 another form of closureandcdlftainer 'is shown. YThe bead 9 is formed att@ lower edge of the skirt of the cap and has the lower edge of the skirt turned inwardly to support a gasket. The inclined sealing zone 17 is below the screw threads and merges with the shoulder 5 on the container.

In either of the caps shown the gaskets and closuresv may be assembled by automatic machines, one form of which feeds gaskets to an assembling mandrel which draws the gaskets about a cylindrical form by forming two diametric loops therein and inserts them within the closure permitting them to return to their normal shape in the bead of the cap. lVhen once assembled the closures and gaskets may be shipped and handled without disturbing the relation of the gaskets. They may be fed by automatic machines and ap- .plied to the containers without the use of skilled labor. `When the cap is applied vthe gasket 12 whether at or above the lower edge ofthe skirt, engages the inclined sealing zone 2 or 17 on the receptacle and as the closure isscrewed further on the container the gasket is.wedged against the sealing zone. By

`suitable regulation of the amount of incline,

vthe Vpressure lexerted in a lateral direction may be 'increased considerably beyond the pressure applied in a vertical direction. In

. this-waya minimum rotative effort applied toy the` cap ywill form an vdanger of the closure freezing tothe glass effective seal.

containery is minimizeddue to the fact that there is aconstant tendency of the gasket to press the skirt ofk the cap away from the metal of the container thereby facilitating vUpon removal i above embodiment ready removal thereof.

Since the gasket is below the rim of the container, there is little likelihood of its being contaminated by `the'contents thereof. of the cap thefgasket remains in the bead thereof permitting sealingand resealing of the container.

It will be noted that the above invention provides a screw cap and container adapted to form aneffective hermetic side seal. The closure may be applied with a minimum rotative effort due to thel fact that it is wed ed between the closure and the container. herence of the closure to the container is minimized and the removal of the cap facili-` tated. Necessity for skilled labor is eliminated and the amount of labor required in sealing the packages is minimized by providing a construction where the various operations may be performed by machinery. Further, the resulting package is such that it is fully capable of withstanding the rough handling to which it may be subjected in transportation.

As various changes may be made in the without departing from the spirit of the invention it is to be understood'that all matter herein is to be taken as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

The

1. A sealed packa e comprising a. oontainer having screw t reads thereon for enagement with a closure and an inclined surace for engagement with a gasket, a closure cap having a cover portion and a depending skirt, a gasket in the skirt of said cap adapted to engage the inclined surface on the container below the rim thereof to create a wedging action between the skirt of the cap and the inclined surface on the container, and means in said skirt for engaging the screw threads on said container to retain the closure in position and to force said gas ket against the container.

2. A sealed package comprising a container having threads thereon and an inclined sealing surface, a screw closure cap having a depending skirt, a gasket mounted in said skirt at the lower edge thereof adapted to be pressed against said container to form a hermetic seal on said inclined surface when said cap is screwed on said container.

3. A sealed package comprising a container having threads thereon and an inclined surface, a screw closure cap having a depending skirt a gasket mounted in said skirt at the lower edge thereof, said skirt being turned inwardly at its lower edge to support said gasket in position to be pressed against said container to form a hermetic side seal when said cap is screwed on said container.

4. A sealed ackage comprising -a container having threads thereon, a screw closure cap havlng a depending skirt, a gasket mounted in said skirt, and an inclined annular sealing zone on said container adjacent said gasket, whereby when the closure is screwed on the container a lateral pressure will be exerted against the gasket and the skirt of the cap by said sealing zone.

5. A sealed package comprising a' container having threads thereon,'a closure cap having a cover ortion and a depending skirt, anannular ead in said skirt, a gasket in said bead, an annular inclined sealin zone on said container adjacent said bea and lthread engaging means on said skirt for engaging the threads on the container to press sald gasket into enga ement with said inclined sealing zone to orm a side seal therewith when the closure is screwed on the container.

6. A sealed package. comprising a container having a threaded upper end, a closure cap having a cover portion and a depending skirt, an annular bead at the lower edge of said skirt, a gasket in said bead, and threads in the skirt of said closure above said bead adapted to engage co-operating threads on said container to squeeze said gasket against the side wall of the container to form a hermetic seal.

.7. A sealed package comprising a con-A ltainer having athreadedlupper'endra clo-Y i sure cap having av cover portion and a dependinfg skirt, an annular bead at the lower operating threads on said container tol squeeze said gasket against the side wall of the container to form a hermetic seal.

8. As an article of manufacture, a screw closure ca having a bead in the skirt thereof be ow the screw threads in said closure adapted to receive a gasket, whereb)7 when said closure is screwed on a container a hermetic side seal is formed.

9. As an article of manufacture, a screw closure cap having a bead at the lower edge of the skirt thereof ada ted to receive a gasket and support it by t 1e lower edge of the skirt, whereby when said closure is screwed on a container ahermetic side seal is formed.

ABRAHAM PoDEL. 

